Gene therapy, such as the treatment of diseases through the application of nucleotide based drugs has become an important medical field. Typically, modified viruses as gene transfer vectors have been used in recent years. However, concerns over possible undesirable side effects, such as unsolicited immune responses, when viral vectors are used have resulted in efforts to develop non-viral alternatives (e.g., polymeric delivery systems, liposomal formulations and “naked” DNA injections). While these alternative approaches have not yet achieved the clinical effectiveness of viral vectors, the potential safety, processing, and economic benefits offered by these methods are promising.
Accordingly, better non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible lipids are needed that is easily and economically efficiently prepared to be used to transfect nucleic acids. Such lipids would have several uses, including the delivery of nucleic acids in gene therapy as well as in the packaging and/or delivery of diagnostic, therapeutic, and prophylactic agents. The instant specification describes such new transfection reagents and methods for synthesizing thereof.